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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bulb — for light
  3. current — electric
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. current — happening now
  6. court — for sport
  7. bore — to drill
  8. object — a thing
  9. current — of water
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bore — to tire
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. charge — in control
  16. prune — to trim
  17. object — to protest
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bulb — for light
  20. file — a tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. object — an aim
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com